1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to improvements in an interior material for an automotive vehicle, and more particularly to the improvements in the interior material for covering a panel of a pillar or a roof rail of the automotive vehicle, provided with an impact absorbing structure.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Hitherto many interior materials for an automotive vehicle have been proposed and put into practical use, in which the interior materials have an impact absorbing structure. One of them is disclosed as a pillar garnish in Japanese Patent Provisional Publication No. 6-239189. The pillar garnish is arranged to cover the passenger compartment side of a pillar forming part of a vehicle body. The pillar garnish includes a main body section which is provided at its inner surface with many cylindrical impact absorbing bosses. The pillar is formed with many circular holes which are located corresponding to the energy absorbing bosses of the pillar garnish.
With the thus arranged conventional interior material or pillar garnish, when a pressing impact load is applied onto the main body section of the pillar garnish from the side of the passenger compartment so as to displace the pillar garnish toward the pillar, each impact absorbing boss is frictionally inserted into the corresponding hole of the pillar thereby absorbing the impact load.
In order effectively accomplish such impact load absorption, it is necessary to enlarge the stroke (time) of the energy absorbing process. This requires a sufficient distance between the surface of the pillar garnish and the pillar and requires a corresponding increase in the length of each energy absorbing boss. As a result, the main body section of the pillar garnish protrudes into the passenger compartment away from the pillar, and therefore it becomes impossible to obtain a larger passenger compartment while providing the fear of a pressure feeling being given to the vehicle passenger. Additionally, the pillar garnish main body protruding into the passenger compartment may obstruct smooth getting-in and out actions of the vehicle from the side of the passenger. Furthermore, the protruding pillar garnish main body section has the fear of narrowing the visual range of the vehicle passenger who sees the outside of the vehicle from the side of the passenger compartment. Therefore, overcoming the above drawbacks has been eagerly desired.